Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-11

and fifty miles inland to Mt Kenia; from
Mt. Kenia on inland to Mt Lekakisera,
another two hundred miles, or thereabouts,
beyond which no white man has, to the
best of my belief, ever been; and then, if
we get so far, right on into the unknown
interior. What do you say to that, my
hearties?'
Its big ORDER" said Sir Henry, re-
fiectively.
''You are right, - l answered, sit is; but
take it that we are all three of US in
search of big order We want a
change OF scene, and we are likely to get
one-a thorough change All my life l
have longed to visit those parts, and mean
to do it before 1 die. My poor boys death
has broken the last link between me and
civilization, and I'm off to my native wilds
And now I'll tell you another thing; and
that is, that for years and years l have
heard rumOrS of a great white race that is
supposed to have its home somewhere up
in this direction, and [ have mind to see
If there is any truth in them. If you fell
lows like to come, well and good; if not I'll
go alone"
I'm your man. though don't believe in
your white race said Sir Henry Curtis,
rising and placing his arm upon my Shout
der.
"Ditto," remarked Good "Fn go into
training at once. By all means let's go to
Mt. Kenia and the other place with an I'M
pronounceable name, and look for a white
race that does not exist. It's all one to me"
when do you propose to start?" asked
Sir Henry
This day month, l answered, "by the
British India steamboat; and don't you be
SO certain that things don't exist because
you do not happen to hear Of them. Re
member King Solomon's Mines.
Some fourteen weeks or so had passed
since the date of this conversation, and
this history continues on its way in very
different surroundings.
After much deliberation and inquiry we
came to the conclusion that our best start
ing-point for Mt. Kenia would be from the
neighborhood of the mouth of the Tana
river, and not from Mombasa, a place over
one hundred miles nearer Zanzibar This
conclusion we arrived at from information
given to us by German trader whom we
met upon the steamer at Alden. [ think
that he was the dirtiest German ever met:
but he was a good fellow, and gave us a
great deal Of valua BILE information.
''Lamu," said he, ''you goes to Lamu-Oh
re beautiful placer! and he turned up his
fat face and beamed with mild rapture.
zone year and q half | live there and never
change my Shirt-never at all. j."
And SO it came to pass that on arriving
at the island we disembarked with all our
goods and chattels, and, not knowing
where to go, marched boldly up to the
house OF Her Majesty's Consul, where we
were most Hospitality received.
Lamu is very curious place, but the
things which stand out most clearly in my
memory in connection with it are it's ex-
ceeding dirtiness and its smells. These
last are simply awful. Just below the
Consulate is the beach, or, rather, mud
bank that is called beach, 1t is ftquite
bare at low tide, and serves as a repository
for all the filth, offal, and refuse of the
town. Here it is, too, that the women
come to bury cocoanuts in the mud, leaving
them there till the outer husk is quite rot
ten, when they dig them up again and use
the nbers to make mats with and for var
ious other purposes. AS this process has
been going on for generations, the condi.
ton of the beach can be better imagined
odors in the course of my life, but the con-
centrated essence of stencil that arose from
that beach at Lamu, as we sat in the moon
light night-not under, but on, our friend
the ConsuIs hospitable roof-and shifted
it, makes the remembrance of them very
poor and faint. No wonder people get
fever in Lamu. And yet the place was not
without certain quaintness and charm of
Olool0 Il
it was one which would quickly pail.
"Well where are you gentlemen steering
for?" asked our friend, the hospitable Con
sui, as we smoked our pipes after dinner.
1--WE propose to go to Mt. Kenia and then
on to Mt Lekakisera," answered Sir Henry.
"Quartermain has got hold of some yarn
about there being a white race up in the
unknown territories beyond"
The Consul looked interested, and an
swered that he had heard something of
that. too.
"What have you heard" asked.
ooh, not much. All know about it is
that year or so ago [ got letter from
Mackenzie, the Scotch missionary, whose
station, The Highlands is placed at the
highest navigable point of the Tana river,
in which he said something about it,"
''Haye you the letter." I asked.
mo, destroyed it; but I remember that
he said that a man had arrived at his sta
ton who declared that two months jour
ney beyond Mt. Lekakisera, which no white
man has yet visited-at least, SO far as [
know-he found lake called Laga, and
that then he went off to the northeast, a
months journey, over desert, and thorn
veldt, and great mountains, till he came
to a country where the people were white
and lived in stone houses. Here he was
Hospitality entertained for while, till at
last the priests of the country set it about
that he was devil, and the people drove
him away; and he journeyed for eight
months and reached Mackenzie's place, as
L say, dying. That's all [ know; and if you
ask me, | believe that it is all a lie; but If
you want to find out more about it, you
had better go up the Tana to Mackenzie s
place and ask him for information"
Sir Henry and I looked at each other.
Here was something tangible.
Il think that we will go to Mr.. Macken-
zie's," said.
WELL" answered the Consul, chat is
your best way; but L warn you that you are
likely to have rough journey, for [ hear
that the Nasal are about, and, as you know,
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